Zardari appears before banking court in money laundering case

KARACHI: Former president and Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari appeared on Friday before a local banking court in connection to a money laundering case.

On August 17, the local banking court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Asif Zardari and other absconding suspects in the ongoing probe. However, on August 18, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) approved the former president’s petition for protective bail in the case and ordered him to appear before the relevant court before September 3. Thus, Zardari appeared before the banking court today.

The FIA is investigating 32 people in relation to money laundering from fictitious accounts, including Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur. Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested in July in connection with the probe.

The former president’s other close aide and Omni Group chairman Anwar Majeed and his son, Abdul Ghani, were also arrested by FIA earlier this month. Majeed’s three other sons have been granted interim bail.